COSTWAY 23" Electric Fireplace Review: a compact heater that looks like a real fire (almost)

I’ve been using this COSTWAY 23" electric fireplace for a few weeks in a small living room, basically as a main heater in the evenings and as a “fake log fire” for a bit of atmosphere. I bought it because I wanted something that looks like a real fire but without messing with a chimney or gas, and also something I could just plug in and forget about. No DIY skills, no drilling, just plug-and-play. So this review is from the point of view of a pretty average user, not a DIY pro.

Right away, the first thing that stood out is that it’s more about practical heat + decent visuals than about being some design piece. It heats up quickly, the remote works fine from the sofa, and the flames are honestly better than I expected for the price. Not cinema-level realism, but good enough that you don’t feel like you’re staring at a cheap screen saver. The logs look okay, not super detailed, but once the lights are dimmed you don’t care much.

On the downside, it’s still a 1500W electric heater, so you have to be realistic: it will warm up a 20–25 m² room nicely, but it won’t magically heat a whole house. There’s also a bit of fan noise when the heating is on. It’s not crazy loud, but if you’re very sensitive to noise, you’ll hear it in quiet moments. For me, it fades into the background after a few minutes, especially if the TV or some music is on.

Overall, my feeling after these first weeks is simple: it gets the job done. It looks good enough, it heats properly for its size, and the controls are straightforward. It’s not perfect, there are nicer units out there if you want something more high-end, but for the price bracket it sits in, it’s a pretty solid compromise between looks, power, and ease of use.

On the value for money side, I’d say this COSTWAY 23" fireplace sits in a good middle ground. It’s not the cheapest electric fire you can find, but it’s also far from the top end. For the price, you’re getting: two power levels, thermostat, timer, remote control, multiple flame colours and brightness levels, and a unit that can either be freestanding or recessed. That’s a decent feature set for something in this range.

Compared to very cheap electric fires I’ve seen in supermarkets or discount stores, this one feels more solid and the flames look better. Those ultra-budget ones often have a very flat, obviously fake flame and thin plastic bodies. Here, the metal body and tempered glass front give a more solid impression. On the other hand, compared to more expensive brands with super realistic flames and more elaborate designs, you can see where the money was saved: simpler finish, more basic log set, and a fairly standard fan noise.

Electricity-wise, 1500W is 1500W, so the running cost is the same as any other heater of that power. The value comes from how usable and pleasant it is while doing that job. In that sense, having the thermostat and timer helps avoid wasting energy, and the ability to use flame-only mode lets you enjoy the look without burning extra power when you don’t need heat.

If you want a quick summary: for the current price bracket and what it offers, I’d say it’s good value. There are nicer units out there, but they cost more. There are cheaper ones, but they usually look and feel cheaper too. This one lands in the “decent but nothing crazy” zone: it does its job, adds some atmosphere, and doesn’t feel like a rip-off. If your budget is moderate and you want both heat and a reasonably realistic fire look, it’s a sensible option.

Design-wise, this COSTWAY fireplace doesn’t scream “designer piece”, but it also doesn’t look cheap or toy-like. The whole thing is black with a powder-coated metal frame and a front glass panel. The shape is very straightforward: basically a simple rectangular insert with a flat front. No fake brass, no weird patterns. That’s actually a plus if you want it to blend into different styles of living room or into an existing fireplace surround without clashing.

The fake logs and flame area take up most of the visible part. The logs are obviously plastic, but the shape and texture are decent once the flames are on. In normal lighting, you can tell it’s not real, but with lower light it gives a nice warm feel. The control panel is tucked into the front (usually along the top edge) with small buttons and a simple display. It’s not pretty, but once you’re using the remote, you don’t really look at it much.

What I liked is that the depth is only about 12.9 cm, so it doesn’t stick out much when recessed. For a freestanding setup, it still looks fairly slim. If you drop it into an old fireplace opening, it fills the space nicely without looking bulky. If you’re planning to wall-mount it or fully recess it into a wall, you’ll probably want to frame it with something for a cleaner finish, but as a basic insert it already looks okay on its own.

On the downside, if you’re looking for something that looks high-end, with metal trims, glass edges, or fancy ambient side lights, this isn’t it. Everything about the design is functional and simple. Personally, I prefer that over fake luxury details that peel after a year, but it’s good to be clear: the look is clean and practical, not premium. For the price though, I think the design is honest and does the job: it looks like a small modern fireplace, not like a cheap heater pretending to be one.

The materials are pretty straightforward: metal body, tempered glass front, and plastic inside for the logs and various bits around the flame effect. The outer metal shell feels solid enough. When you tap it, it doesn’t feel flimsy or thin like some very cheap heaters. The powder-coated finish looks uniform, no weird marks or rough edges on my unit. After a few weeks of use, I didn’t notice any discoloration or rattling.

The front glass is tempered, which is reassuring from a safety standpoint. It doesn’t get burning hot like a real stove door, but it does warm up when the heater has been running for a while, so you still don’t want small kids pressing their hands on it for fun. The glass is clear and doesn’t distort the flame effect, and it’s easy enough to wipe down with a soft cloth if dust or fingerprints build up.

Inside, the logs are obviously plastic, but again, you’re not paying for hand-carved wood here. They look okay once lit. The inner reflective surfaces and LEDs do the heavy lifting for the flame visuals. These are the parts that are a bit more “budget” but they’re hidden enough that it doesn’t really matter. As long as the electronics hold up over time, I don’t see any obvious weak point in the build for normal home use.

Overall, I’d call the material quality decent and practical. It doesn’t feel fragile, and it’s not overly heavy either. You can move it to another room without worrying you’ll bend something. It’s not on the same level as a cast-iron electric stove or a high-end built-in fireplace, but it also doesn’t cost like those. For the price, the mix of metal and tempered glass is fair, and I’d be more worried about the internal electronics failing over the long term than about the physical shell wearing out.

The packaging is pretty standard but does its job. The fireplace comes in a cardboard box with foam pieces protecting the corners and the glass front. Mine arrived without any dents or cracks. The box isn’t insanely heavy, so one person can handle it, although if you’re going up stairs it’s easier with two people just because of the size. Nothing felt loose or rattling inside the box when I opened it, which is already a good sign.

Unboxing is straightforward: slide it out, remove the plastic and foam, and you basically have the unit ready. The manual is basic but clear enough. You get simple diagrams explaining the buttons, the remote functions, and some safety advice (don’t cover it, keep distance from curtains, etc.). There’s no mountain of useless leaflets or fancy marketing booklets, which I personally don’t miss at all.

Setup is almost laughably easy if you use it freestanding. You just place it where you want it, plug it into a normal socket, and you’re done. For a recessed or built-in installation, you obviously need to measure the opening and maybe secure it in place, but the unit itself doesn’t require complex assembly. I tested it first just sitting in front of an old fireplace opening, then later slid it inside and adjusted the position. Both ways worked fine.

So overall, the packaging and setup are no-nonsense: it’s packed well enough to arrive in one piece, no insane amount of plastic, and once it’s out of the box, you can be testing the flames within 5–10 minutes. If you’re scared of products that need assembly or complicated wiring, this one is pretty stress-free. Not exciting, not fancy, just practical.

On the heating side, this unit is pretty solid for a standard 1500W heater. I used it in a living room of about 18–20 m². Starting from a slightly chilly 17–18°C, it took around 20–30 minutes on the 1500W mode to bring the room to a comfortable temperature. Once it got there, the thermostat did its job: the heater cycles on and off to maintain the set temp, which matches what one Amazon user mentioned about it buzzing then shutting off when the air gets warmer.

You can choose between 750W and 1500W. In practice, I used 1500W to warm the room up quickly, then dropped to 750W or just relied on the thermostat. The 5000 BTU rating is in line with what you get from this power level. It’s ideal as a main heater for a small room or as a support heater in a larger space. If you’re expecting it to heat a big open-plan area, you’ll be disappointed; it’s just not built for that.

Flame-wise, you get 3 colours and 3 brightness levels. I mainly stuck with the warm orange/yellow combo, which looks the most natural. The other colours add a bluish or slightly whiter tone, which some people like, but for me it looked less realistic. Brightness at level 3 is strong enough even with lights on; level 1 is nice for evenings when you want it more discreet. One thing I appreciated is being able to run the flame without heat, so you can use it in spring or autumn just for the look.

Noise level is acceptable but not silent. There is a low fan hum when the heating is on. It’s noticeable in a quiet room, but for me it was less intrusive than some portable fan heaters I’ve used. The flame effect itself is quiet. If you watch TV or listen to music at a normal volume, the noise fades into the background. So overall: the performance is good for a mid-range electric fireplace. It heats as advertised and the flame is better than “cheap fake”, but not on the level of top-tier units that cost much more.

When you unpack the COSTWAY 23" fireplace, there’s not a ton of stuff to deal with, which I liked. You get the main unit, the remote, a basic manual, and that’s it. No weird bits, no complicated mounting kit unless you want to build it in. The unit itself is about 58 cm wide, a bit over 43 cm high, and just under 13 cm deep. It’s fairly compact, and at around 9 kg, it’s light enough to move by yourself without any drama.

The fireplace can be used in two ways: freestanding or built-in/recessed. I started by just placing it on the floor against the wall to test it quickly, then I slid it into an existing fireplace opening. It fit nicely, a bit like what one of the Amazon reviewers said about fitting it into a stone fireplace. There are no fancy side trims or anything in the box, so if you want it to look perfectly integrated, you might need to add some finishing pieces or a surround yourself.

In terms of features, it’s fairly packed for the price: 750W and 1500W heat modes, adjustable thermostat from 18°C to 28°C, timer from 1 to 8 hours, 3 flame colours, 3 brightness levels, and the option to run flames only with no heat. Heat output is rated at 5000 BTU, which matches what you expect from a 1500W heater. It’s meant for rooms up to roughly 37 m², but in real life I’d say it’s most comfortable in a 15–25 m² space if you don’t want it running full blast all the time.

So in practice, what you get is a simple electric heater with a fake fire front that you can either drop into an existing fireplace opening or just use as a standalone unit. No complicated setup, no extra accessories to lose, and the learning curve is minimal. If you’re expecting a super premium “installation kit” experience, you won’t get that. But if you want something you can pull out of the box, plug in, and start using in 10 minutes, it checks that box easily.

In terms of pure effectiveness as a heater, this thing does what it says. The 750W/1500W settings are enough to make a small to medium room comfortable without having to run central heating at full blast. I mainly used it in the evenings, setting the thermostat to around 21–22°C. Once the room got there, the unit cycled on and off and kept the temperature fairly stable. I didn’t feel any big swings from hot to cold, which is usually what annoys me with cheap fan heaters.

The heat distribution is front-facing, so don’t expect it to heat the hallway behind it or the next room. But sitting a few meters in front of it on the sofa, you feel the warmth gradually fill the space. It doesn’t blow scorching air like a turbo fan heater; it’s more of a steady warm flow. For me, that made it more comfortable for longer use. I could leave it on for a couple of hours without that dry “burning your face” feeling.

The thermostat range from 18°C to 28°C is enough for most people. I tried setting it higher to see if it would blast heat, and yes, it does ramp up, but keep in mind it’s still a 1500W unit, so it has its limits. For a well-insulated room, it’s fine. For a badly insulated space or a very large room, you’ll hit the limit of what it can realistically do. The overheat protection is there in the background, which is good for peace of mind, especially if you’re the type to forget things on.

Comfort-wise, having flame-only mode is a nice bonus. On milder evenings, I left the heat off and just used the flames for the ambience. It sounds silly, but it actually makes the room feel cozier even without extra heat. So if you’re looking for something that both warms the room and gives a bit of that “fireplace vibe”, this ticks both boxes. Just go in knowing it’s an electric heater, not a wood stove, and judge it by that standard.